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Thursday, June 25, 2009

what's a mom to do?

[Erica on left]

Last night five students from Georgetown Medical School had been selected to participate in a special taping at the White House of an ABC News t.v. program–Primetime’s “Questions for the President: Prescription for America.” Our Erica was one of the five. Here's the question she posed:

I am interested in providing medical care to all patients in need regardless of their ability to pay, but I will graduate medical school next year with over $200,000 in loans and I worry about how I will fulfill my professional and personal goals as well as meet my financial obligations. How do you plan to extend quality medical coverage to the growing number of un- or under-insured Americans while protecting health care provider compensation in light of the soaring cost of tuition? I come from working class roots in Idaho, and getting to (and through!) medical school has been both a personal and financial struggle for me. I have a congenital heart condition for which I underwent open heart surgery in the year I started medical school. Although I have always been insured, the uncovered portion of the medical expenses has always been burdensome for me, especially as a student living on loans without parental support. I forgo regular follow-up examinations, and have in the past chosen between getting an echocardiogram and buying books. Despite the hardships I have experienced related to the high cost of healthcare, I am fortunate to even have a degree of insurance. Many people close to me, particularly younger friends and family, have no coverage at all. This means that they do not receive regular life-saving screenings or preventive health care measures, and are one medical emergency away from financial collapse. The problem extends beyond my immediate circle, and requires urgent action by those in healthcare and the government. Throughout my career I hope to contribute to the extension of quality healthcare to all in need.

Unfortunately she wasn't able to ask President Obama during the program...let's just say it was a very media-oriented agenda designed for Diane Sawyer & Charlie Gibson to pimp the President using the most general issues in the shortest amount of time with way too many commercials. You can read all the students' questions concerning health care reform in a letter written by the School of Medicine's class president and later given to Obama here.

[Erica second on left]

To say Dave and I were ecstatically proud of her would be an understatement. She was excited to be in the White House, meet the President and since she is committed to health care change we were glad she was able to participate.

4 comments:

What a great thoughtful and thought provoking question from your Erica. (I've wondered the same thing, how our young doctors will be able to serve, make a living and pay back those tremendous loans at the same time)I've recorded the program and hopefully tomorrow I'll get to view it!XOX

Congratulations to your daughter and to you her parents on her accomplishments in med school, and for this special experience at the White House. Am not surprised to hear how it really went, with the national media taking center stage.

I could go on a rant about health care costs....couldn't we all. Its a mess.

its all about me

“There are three things in life that people like to stare at:
a flowing stream, a crackling fire and a Zamboni clearing the ice.”--
Charlie Brown--
I'm recently transplanted to Minnesota where I'm unraveling the mysteries of life while riding atop my imaginary Zamboni. I think I'm getting it. . .